A/39/PV.2 General Assembly

I should like to inform mem- bers that the following representatives have been elected Chairmen of the seven Main Committees of the General Assembly and are accordingly members of the General Committee for the thirty-ninth session (decision 39/303): First Committee: Mr. Celso Antonio de Souza e Silva (Brazil); Special Political Committee: Mr. Alpha Ibrahima Diallo (Guinea); Second Committee: Mr. Bryce Harland (New Zea- land); Third Committee: Mr. Ali Abdi Madar (Somalia); Fourth Committee: Mr. Renagi Renagi Lohia (Papua New Guinea); Fifth Committee: Mr. Ernest Besley Maycock {Barba- dos); Sixth Committee: Mr. Gunter Goerner (German Democratic Republic). I congratulat~ the Chairmen on their election.

Pursuant to rule 31 of the rules of procedure, we shall now proceed to the election of the Vice-Presidents of the General Assem- bly, who are to be chosen in such a way as to ensure the representative character of the General Commit- tee. 3. An members of the General Assembly are eligible in this election except those already represented in the General Committee-namely, those countries whos~ representatives have been elected to the presidency of the General Assembly or to the chair- manships of the Main Committees. 4. In accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3 of the anne'j{ to General Assembly resolution 33/138 of 19 December 1978, the 21 Vice-Presidents shall be elected according to the following pattern: five representatives from African States; five representa- tives from Asian States; one representative from an Eastern European State; three representatives from Latin American States; two representatives from Tuesday, J8 September 1984, at 5.40 p.m. NEW YORK Western European or other States; five representa- tives from the permanent members of the Security Council. 5. In accordance with paragraph 16 of annex VI to the rules of procedure, the election of the Vice- Presidents of the Assembly by secret ballot will be dispensed with when the number of candidates corresponds to the number of seats to be filled. In other words, whenever the number of candidates in a given group corresponds to the number of seats to be filled in that group, those candidates will be declared elected. We shall proceed accordingly. 6. I shall now read out the names of the States endorsed by the regional groups: five African States: Chad, Djibouti, Ghana, Morocco and Togo; five Asian States: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cyprus, Malaysia and Yemen; one Eastern European State: Bulgaria; three Latin American States: Bolivia, Cuba and Guatemala; two Western European or other States: Iceland and Italy. 7. Mr. LESLIE (Belize): I should like to extend the congratulations of the delegation of Belize to you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly. My Minister for Foreign Affairs will extend appropriate congratulations to you and to your predecessor during the course of thiS session of the General Assembly. 8. With your permission, Mr. President, I should like to make specific reference to the election of Guatemala to one of the vice-presidencies of the thirty-ninth session of the General Assembly. The delegation of Belize joined in the consensus achieved through many hours of discussion and negotiation to present a slate of candidates to represent the Latin American and Caribbean grouping of States in important positions during this General Assembly. 9. My delegation has the deepest respect for the Group of Latin American States, of which it is u part, and has no doubt that the representatives elected to high office will be ;) credit both to our group and to the United Nations. My delegation, however, would like to place on record it~ reservation on the candida- ture of Guatemala for vice-presidency of the General Assembly. In spite of its reservation, Belize joined in the consensus of the Group of Latin American Stater, but this decision by my delegation should not be interpreted as approval of Guatemala's international posture, as a comment on its record at the United Nations or as acceptance of its persistent non-recog- nition of the existence of the independent State of Belize within its own land and sea boundaries or of its claim over our territory. It should be seen, rather, as a sign of our solidarity with the Group of Latin American States, and it should be interpreted b)' the General Assembly and the Guatemalan authorities as another contribution in good faith by Belize to the